Fire-escape



G. MULLER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

110.446,001. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

nrnivr rricn.

GUSTAVE MULLER, OF MADALIN, NEV YORK.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPEQIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,001, dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed November 5, 1890. Serial No. 370,413. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GUSTAVE MULLER,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Mada lin, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereomwhich forni a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire-escapes; and it relates more particularly to that class ot' fireescapes in which provision is had whereby an individual may lower himself from the window to the ground, the device being operated by gravity and the speed ot' the descent being controlled by the operator.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve upon the construction 'and render more efficient and serviceable in operation this class of appliances.

The invention has for a further and more immediate object to provide, in connection with the device, mechanism for quickly and accurately adjusting the carriage, so as to adapt it to work uniformly in carrying persons of different weights.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the peculiar construction and in the novel co1nbination, arrangement, and adaptation ot parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically deliued in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, like letters of reference indicating the salne parts throughout the several views, and in which drawings- Figure l is a perspective view ot` a tire-es cape constructed in accordance with my iuvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the carriage, the same being shown upon an enlarged' scale. Fig. 3

is a sectional view of the hand clamping device.

Reference now being had to the details of the invention by letter of reference, A designates the carriage, which consists ot a suitable case B, provided within its side walls B with parallel slits or openings B2, which extend from the end C ot' the case to a point substantially two-thirds ot the length of the case. Within these openings B2 of the case are placed the rectangular ends of the axles D', and upon these axles are loosely sleeved the rollers D, there being two sets of these rollers, one set having its rollers arranged directly above those of the other set, as shown. It will be observed that the rectangular ends of the axles are fitted loosely within the openings B2 in the case, and that the said rollers are thus movable horizontally within the case, the ends of the axles in each set of rollers being connected by means ot springs D2, said springs servingto i'orce the rollers apart when pressure applied by means ot the set-screw E at the end of the ease is removed. The setscrew E is passed centrally through an opening formed in the end of the case, and its lower end bears upon the `taee of the movable block F, which block has attached to its ends the arms F', which bear at their ends against the squared ends ot the axles D of the rollers adjacent to the block, and it will be readily seen that when the set-screw is turned so as to cause the block to be moved inwardly the pressure of the arms against the axles will force the same in the direction of the next adjacentrollers in a horizontal line. A rope or cord G is passed vertically through the openings g, formed in the top and bottom of the case, said cord or rope passing between the rollers, as shown. One end of this rope or cord is provided with a suitable fastening device, as the strap H, whereby it may be secured in any suitable manner within the room or apartment of a building, and when in use the opposite end ot the said rope or cord is allowed to fall to the ground. A suitable seat I is provided upon the upper tace of the case. The end C of the case is provided with a graduated dial K, and the set-screw E is passed through an opening provided 'for its reception in the center ot said dial. The tension of the IOO ' springs D2, connecting the roller-axle, as described, should be such with reference to the inclination of the thread of the set-screw, that the set-screw may be at any time readily adj usted so as to cause the rollers to press the rope with such a degree of torce as may be necessary to sustain a given weight, said point being indicated by the arms or pointers M, which project from the body of the set-screw directly above the graduated face of the disk.

In order to protect the hands of the operator from contact with the rope, suitable handles N are sleeved upon the rope, and by means of a set-screw O these handles may be caused to bind upon the rope with such a degree of force as may be desired.

The operation of the device is simple and will be readily understood. \Vhen it is proposed to use the escape, the operator turns the set-screw at the end of the case until the arms above the dial indicate the point at which the screw should be set in order to cause the carriage to operate with his weight. The rope is then secured within the room,and the free end of the rope is dropped to the ground. The operator then seats himself upon the carriage and grasps the handles upon the rope. Should he iind that the carriage moves a little too rapidly, or should he desire to descend with greater speed, he can by simply turning the set-screws upon the movable handles regulate in a measure the speed of descent, though,

' if he has carefully adjusted the carriage by means of the set-screw at the end of the same, it will rarely be found necessary to use the screws upon the handles.

In cases in which it may be desired to provide a positively-acting brake which will act direct-ly upon the faces of the rollers an d will lock the same against rotation, a traveling block P is interposed between the block F and the rollers D, and a spring R is placed between the blocks, as shown in Fig. 2 ot' the drawings. It will be seen that when the screw E is forced inward the spring R will be compressed, and it' the pressure upon the block I" is continued the block I will be forced directly against the face of the rollers, thus serving as a brake.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, iS c l. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination of the rope, the ease having horizontal rollers in sets journaled therein and having openings whereby the rope maybe passed vertically through the case and between the rollers, yielding connections between'the rollers of each set, and means, substantially as described, whereby therope may be compressed between the rollers, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

2. The combination of the case having horizontal slots, the axles movable within the slots and carrying rollers, spring connections between the axles, a block carrying arms adapted to bear against the axles, the setscrew in the end ot' the case, adapted tobear against the block, the dial upon the end of the case, graduatedv as described, and the indicatin pointer carried by the setscrew above the face ofthe dial, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The combination of the slotted ease, the rollers mounted upon axles movable Within the slots, the block F, the arms F', carried by the said block and adapted to bear against the axles within the slots in the case, the brake-block I), and the spring R, interposed between the said block and the block F, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- GUSTAVE MULLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. SILVER. J oHN KING. 

